A Hyuga's Honor
by funkychicken67
Summary: Hinata Hyuga has been gone for 7 years. Naruto and all thought she was dead until one night when she returned more powerful than ever.
1. Prologue

The cloaked figure looked upon the looming gates of Konohagakure, and the Hokage tower just beyond. This is it, the figure thought, my time has come. They rushed to the gate with the grace and speed of a ninja, merely another shadow in the dark of the night. Approaching the gate, the figure slowed down, noting two tired shinobi standing guard.

Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki were indeed tired, but when they noticed the hooded person gracefully approach them, they perked right up.

"Halt, who goes there?" Izumo shouted across the space between him and the stranger.

"I'm just a traveler. I'm here to speak to the Hokage," said a soft, feminine voice. Kotetsu and Izumo glanced at each other, communicating that there was something suspicious about this self-proclaimed traveler arriving in the dead of night.

"The Hokage doesn't take appointments at this hour. State your true business," Kotetsu reached behind him for his weapons as he said this. The woman sighed; she sincerely hoped she wouldn't need to resort to violence but it looked like she had no choice. She leapt forward and with two precise strikes took down the men before they had a chance to react. Sparing a single look back at the two passed out bodies, the cloaked woman hurried onward. It seemed that her path would be fraught with obstacles, despite her wishful thinking.

She hurriedly slunk through the streets of Konoha, making her way to the Hokage tower. There were no civilians out at this hour, and all the lights in the houses and stores were turned off. Nevertheless, the woman knew she couldn't be too careful in a ninja village, so she kept to the shadows and back alleys until she made it to the imposing structure. Her next obstacle was the heavy, double door entrance to the tower. The lock was easily picked. Too easily in fact. There wasn't a need for great locks when there was a platoon of ANBU available for security, after all. The hooded figure stepped into the tower and immediately pivoted to avoid a senbon needle aimed at her neck. In the same movement, she raised two fingers through which she sent a chakra pulse in the direction the needle came from. A second later, there was a thud as the ANBU soldier slumped to the ground.

Not wasting time, she ran up the tower steps to where she knew the Hokage's office would be. Standing guard at the office door were two more ANBU who noticed her immediately and went for their weapons. They were on the ground before they knew what hit them.

With a deep breath, the woman opened the door to the office. There stood the Nanadaime Hokage, the embodiment of the will of fire, staring out the window with his back to the intruder. He was tall, blonde, and wearing a white cloak with red flames emblazoned on the bottom.

"You've done well so far, I'm impressed. But you've gotta be crazy if you really think you can assassinate me," Naruto Uzumaki turned to stare at the cloaked trespasser with a gleam in his blue eyes.

"I didn't come to assassinate you," replied the woman, "I came to congratulate you…Naruto-kun. You did it. You finally became Hokage."

"I've been the Hokage for the last three years. What are you playing at?" He narrowed his eyes at the stranger.

"I know. I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner."

"Come sooner? Who are you?"

The woman paused, then raised a hand to take off her hood. She revealed shoulder length indigo hair, porcelain skin, and, most notably, pale white eyes.

"Hinata?" Naruto asked disbelievingly. "Hinata Hyuga?"

Hinata nodded somberly, "It's me."

"But…you've been gone for almost seven years. We all assumed…" Naruto tapered off.

"I suspected as much," she sighed.

"So, if you're not here to assassinate me, why attack my shinobi?" Naruto wondered.

"It was the quickest way to get to you. And I suppose you can consider this my application," Hinata responded.

"Application?"

"To rejoin Konoha's ranks as an active kunoichi and your personal bodyguard."

It was rare for Naruto to be struck dumb; he always had the last word and a comeback for everything. Yet there he was, staring into the eyes of a kunoichi he never thought he'd see again, who pummeled through his security and asked to be his bodyguard, and he had absolutely nothing to say.

Hinata continued, "You obviously need the protection. Considering what I went through to get here, your security is subpar." Naruto sat down behind his desk and activated the office privacy seal, ensuring that no ANBU would disrupt them.

"That's pretty forward of you. Not like the Hinata I remember."

"I'm not the Hinata you remember."

"I suppose not." Naruto leaned back in his chair and appraised his companion, "Why don't you tell me, then. If you're not the Hinata I remember, who are you? Where have you been all these years?"

Hinata looked down in defeat, "I can't say."

Naruto nodded, "So you expect me to invite you back to the village, as the Hokage's bodyguard no less, based on nothing more than the fact that you took down some of my shinobi?"

Hinata straightened and looked him dead in the eye, "I may not be the Hinata you remember, but I am still Hinata."

Naruto sighed, "The Council's gonna have my neck for this."

"Surely, they're not the worst adversaries you've faced, Hokage-sama."

"And Hinata Hyuga is teasing me. Now I've seen it all!" Naruto let out a chuckle. He got up from his desk and crossed the room to stand in front of the kunoichi.

"I'm glad you're back," with those words, Naruto embraced the rigid Hyuga. Hinata was frozen in place, not expecting to be so close as to feel Naruto's body heat, his strong muscles against her frame. She could smell a hint of ramen amidst his overall earthy scent. Hinata's cheeks dusted over with a light pink hue, something that hasn't happened in years. Naruto cleared his throat and disengaged as soon as he realized Hinata wasn't reciprocating his hug.

"Of course, you'll still need to go through the formal reinstatement process. I'll vouch for you so you don't have to go through interrogation, but there's nothing I can do about the probationary period before allowing you to take B rank missions and above. As for being my personal bodyguard…well the Hokage doesn't usually have a personal bodyguard. It's usually up to the ANBU to take shifts," Naruto explained.

"How about this: I'll take on your standard security detail singlehandedly. When I best them, it'll prove I have what it takes and that you'd be better off with me as a bodyguard," Hinata countered.

"You sure you wanna do that?" Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"You don't think I can do it," Hinata accused.

Naruto waved his arms in defense, "No, it's just that I'm sure there's an easier way than taking on five ANBU at once."

"There may be, but I can think of no better way to prove my worth. Shinobi speak the language of violence, and converse through battle," Hinata stood her ground. Naruto was a bit taken aback by her use of proverb; nonetheless, he nodded in agreement.

"Alright, you win. Tomorrow morning at nine we'll meet at training ground 37. For tonight, feel free to stay in the barracks and later on I can set you up with an apartment. Unless you want to stay at the Hyuga compound?" Naruto inquired.

Hinata's face turned stone cold, "No, I'll stay in the barracks."

Naruto let out a soft chuckle to relieve the pressure in the room, "Sorry about the lack of good accommodations but you did kind of show up unannounced."

Hinata hummed in acknowledgement.

"Well," Naruto rubbed his hands together, "I can sense about ten ANBU eagerly waiting at the door. We should pop out and say hi."

"Nine."

"Huh?"

"There's nine ANBU outside the door." Hinata explained as she put on her hood again to mask her face.

"Then let's get out there and let the nine of them know you're not a threat," Naruto's lips spread into his signature wide grin and Hinata's traitorous heart skipped a beat. She couldn't believe that after all these years he still had such an effect on her.

Naruto walked past Hinata to open the door. As Hinata announced, there were nine ANBU standing at attention just outside.

"Stand down, there is no threat," Naruto proclaimed to the group, "Boar—make sure no one bothers our guest. She'll be spending the night in the barracks. Ram—get the word out that we'll have a new kunoichi joining our ranks. I'll get started on her paperwork first thing tomorrow." Boar and Ram nodded and body flickered away.

"As for the rest of you," Naruto continued, "get back to your posts and resume your duties."

The group scattered and Naruto faced Hinata once more, "Now you're free to go around Konoha unscathed."

"Thank you, I'll be going now," she replied with a small bow.

"Wait, Hinata?" Naruto called out to her as she started leaving. Hinata turned around.

"Yes?"

"It really is good to see you again," Naruto finished. He couldn't see Hinata's face, as it was shrouded with her cloak's hood, but he could sense her small smile when she gave him another bow. Hinata turned to exit again. As she made her way out of the Hokage tower, she felt the eyes of hidden ANBU on her, distrustful despite the Hokage's words. As they should be, considering their injured comrades.

She made her way to the barracks without incident and found herself a room. It was completely utilitarian, made up of a metal bed with a thin mattress, a side table, and a sink and mirror in the corner. Much better than camping in the woods, thought Hinata, grateful to finally have a roof over her head. She lay down on top of the threadbare pillow and finally allowed herself to relax.

Hinata couldn't believe that she was actually back in Konoha—it was all rather surreal, especially seeing Naruto again. He was different than when she last saw him, taller, surer of himself, but his smile was the same. It was that smile that littered her thoughts as she fell into a deep slumber.


	2. The Ultimate Freedom

The Fourth Shinobi War just ended. The allied forces were taking the time to mourn their dead, among them Neji Hyuga. Hinata was devastated. She constantly replayed the moment she lost her cousin in her head. The outlook was bleak for everyone when the ten-tails began raining wooden skewers across the battlefield. When she saw one heading straight for Naruto she didn't even think before running over to shield him with her body. She faced him, wanting him to be the last thing she would look upon. Her only regret was she didn't have time to, once more, tell him that she loved him. Naruto's face was contorted in anguish as he realized that she was giving her life for him. Hinata's face was perfectly calm—she was completely ready for death. But death never came. Instead she heard a grunt behind her as Neji was impaled by the skewer meant for her.

She did what she had to afterwards, encouraging Naruto despite being shaken to the core. In the heat of the moment she even felt elation as Naruto grabbed her by the hand and she stood beside him as she always wished to. But that elation was short lived, merely a product of temporary adrenaline and denial. After Naruto and Sasuke released everyone from the Infinite Tsukuyomi, reality crashed down hard on Hinata. Neji died for her and Naruto to be together. He died for nothing. There was no way Naruto would acknowledge her. She was nothing more than the weird girl who wasn't even worth a word of thanks after twice almost giving her life for him. If she had died, either in the battle with Pain or in the war, would Naruto even remember her? She wondered this cynically as she stood in front of Konoha's memorial stone where Neji's name was freshly carved and taunting her.

"I'm so sorry Neji," Hinata quietly sobbed out, "it should be my name on there, not yours."

A drop of rain hit her head, then another, and another, until Hinata found herself standing under a steady downpour. She sighed and decided that it was probably time to get going. The dejected girl walked through the streets of Konoha like a ghost, nobody taking the time to stop and talk to her and she not taking the time to talk to anyone. She was getting drenched, walking without an umbrella, but she was beyond caring about something so trivial. Hinata made her way back to the Hyuga compound and her room where she plopped on her bed.

She spent the whole week cooped up in her room, only coming out occasionally to eat and even then doing her best to avoid her family. Nightmares plagued her, alternating between reliving Neji's death and imagining Naruto's rejection. During the day, she was a zombie, barely living, not even bothering to go through the motions. Not that anyone cared. In the week she wallowing in her own self-pity, no one once came to check up on her.

An arranged marriage is where she thought her life was heading. Despite her displays of love for Naruto, he never seemed to notice her but there was no one else she would choose to be her husband. That would leave the clan elders and her father no choice but to set her up, probably with some foreign dignitary, to increase the Hyuga's political status. A tear rolled down her cheek. How pathetic, she thought. There she was, in her bed, crying to herself like a child. She quickly wiped away the offending moisture from her eyes and sat up.

"One more time," she said to herself, "I'll try one more time. For Neji." Hinata got out of bed, determined to find Naruto and tell him how she felt, just one more time. She left the compound and activated her byakugan, the veins around her eyes protruding as she was inundated with almost 360 degree vision spanning about a kilometer in all directions, wanting to find him as soon as possible. The desperate girl searched and searched, but couldn't find Naruto anywhere. She ran all around Konoha and the training grounds, intermittently using her dojutsu to cover more ground.

Hinata finally ran into Sakura Haruno, Naruto's teammate. Surely she would know where he was.

"Hinata? I feel like I haven't seen you in ages, what's up?" Sakura cheerfully asked.

Hinata twiddled her fingers, an old nervous habit she couldn't quite shake, "I-I'm looking for Naruto-kun, do you happen to know where he is?"

Sakura looked at her in confusion, "Didn't you hear? He went on a long term mission to visit the allied shinobi villages. He left just yesterday."

Something inside Hinata broke. Whatever strength she had simply left her as she realized she lost her chance. Naruto was gone again and who knew when he would be back. Visiting all the allied nations as an ambassador would take at least a year, probably more. He would become even stronger, more brilliant during his trip abroad. In that time, the hero of the war would certainly find a girl worthy of standing beside him. A girl that wasn't a shy, weak Hyuga, Hinata thought bitterly.

"T-thank you, Sakura," Hinata choked out and gave her a bow.

"Wait Hinata," Sakura stopped her from leaving, "I meant it when I said I haven't seen you in a while. None of us have. And I was wondering, with Neji and all, are you doing all right?" Sakura hit the nail on the head and it was all Hinata could do to not burst into tears.

"I'm fine, Sakura," she quietly whispered in response, "thank you for thinking of me." She turned to leave quickly before Sakura had another chance to stop her. The truth was Hinata was nowhere close to being fine. She was slowly drowning in sadness and post-traumatic stress, but she couldn't bring herself to reach out to anyone. Her one hope was love, and that hope was just shattered. She didn't have anything to hold on to anymore, she realized in a panic, not sure what that would mean for her.

She returned to the Hyuga compound, fully prepared to camp out in her room for the near future when she ran into Ko, a branch house member who used to be her caretaker as a child.

"Hinata-sama," Ko began, "your father requests your presence in his office immediately." Hinata nodded emotionlessly, too drained to care about what the meeting would entail. She made her way to Hiashi Hyuga's office.

"Good evening, Hinata," Hiashi greeted his daughter as she entered.

"Good evening, father."

"Please sit, we have much to discuss," he gestured for her to sit across him at his desk. Hinata did as requested.

Hiashi had a stern look on his face as he said, "The elders are not happy. You weren't present for the clan meeting two days ago."

"Oh," Hinata responded dispassionately. She didn't even realize she had missed a meeting.

"Oh? That's all you have to say?" Hiashi questioned her. "I've been trying to give you your space after the war, but it is inexcusable to slack off on your duties as heiress."

"I'm sorry," she apologized in a flat tone.

"Sorry is not enough to appease the clan, Hinata."

"Well what do you want me to do?" Hinata asked, exasperated.

"I'm glad you asked." Hiashi decided to ignore the uncharacteristic lack of respect in her tone. "Akihiko Tetsu, from the Land of Iron, has reached out to me. The samurai nation wishes to maintain close ties to shinobi. In that vein, he has proposed a union between our clans."

"W-what are you saying?" Hinata knew exactly what he was getting at.

"I'm saying it would honor the Hyuga name if you accepted Akihiko-sama's son's hand in marriage."

"You know I can't do that, father," Hinata replied quietly.

"Hinata, I'm afraid you misunderstood. This isn't up for debate," Hiashi sternly folded his hands on top of his desk.

"B-but the Land of Iron is so far, surely Akihiko-sama's son wouldn't w-want to travel that distance each time he wished to visit his family," Hinata tried to find a way out of the proposal, but her nerves showing through her stutter.

"It seems there has been another misunderstanding," the father looked at his daughter with cold eyes, "you will be the one to go to the Land of Iron."

"But h-how will I lead the clan if I'm so f-far?"

Hiashi cleared his throat, "You will go to the Land of Iron and take on the Tetsu name. Hanabi will take on your duties as heiress to the clan."

"What?" Hinata whispered, completely shaken for the second time that day.

"This is an opportunity we can't pass up, Hinata," Hiashi explained. "You and I both know the elders have been unhappy with your progress. We discussed this in the meeting you skipped. This is your chance to make up for your indiscretions and avoid being branded with the caged bird seal, as you will no longer be Hyuga."

Hinata stared down her father, tears in her eyes, "You can't do this to me, father," she meekly protested.

"Do this to you? I'm saving you, Hinata. The elders would have you branded this instant if they could!" He realized he was raising his voice and took a second to compose himself. "This is for the best. The best for you and the best for the clan. I will have one of the branch members relay the details of the engagement. End of discussion."

Hinata, knowing her father, knew there was nothing more she could say. His mind was made up. She wordlessly got up and exited the office. She made her way to back to her room, surprised to find Ko leaning against her door.

"I figured you'd need someone to talk to," Ko looked at Hinata with sympathy in his white eyes.

"I'm fine," Hinata said automatically.

"You're not," Ko replied. "Your father basically sold you to the highest bidder and stripped you of your title. No one would be fine after that."

Hinata looked frustrated for a second before she said, "I have no choice but to fine with my fate."

"All this talk about fate makes you sound like Neji. Did you learn nothing from him?" Ko asked.

"Don't talk to me about Neji," Hinata quietly, yet firmly, responded.

"Someone has to," Ko countered. "You know, he would have been the first to stand up for you at that clan meeting. I don't know if it would have made a difference, but he would have done so anyway."

Tears welled up in Hinata's eyes again, "You don't need to remind me of Neji's loyalty. I'm well aware of it."

Ko continued, "My point is, he would have stood up for you, but he would have wanted you to stand up for yourself. He would want you to stand up for yourself now, Hinata-sama."

"Ko," Hinata croaked out, "Please leave. Now."

He nodded, "I will, but you ought to take my words to heart, Hinata-sama." Hinata watched as Ko turned the corner and disappeared from sight before letting her tears fall.

Her life was falling apart before her very eyes. Ko was right, she was nothing more than a spectator to the chaos surrounding her. Neji would have been furious at her behavior. If he were here he would berate her for being so spineless, for letting her father and the elders rule her life. But there was nothing she could do when it felt like everything was being taken away from her one by one. She had no choice but to join the Tetsu family in an attempt to bring some honor to her name in the eyes of the Hyuga.

No choice.

There was one choice. One way out that she could see. With newfound resolve Hinata entered her bedroom and scanned for her shinobi gear. In Neji's memory, she would take the way out. Hinata gathered all she thought she would need within a storage scroll—kunai, soldier pills, shuriken. She wouldn't overpack, not that she would need much for her plan. She changed into an all-black kunoichi outfit she had not worn before, but would be perfect for stealth. Over top, she put on a heavy cloak—another item that long went unused in her closet. Then she waited.

As the night grew darker, Hinata became even more confident in her plan. She would even say she felt giddy. The moon was covered by clouds that night, truly a sign from Kami that she was making the right choice. Hinata decided it was time, so she slipped out her window and ran through the streets of Konoha, keeping to the shadows. She knew the Hyuga's patrol routes exactly and easily avoided the guards on the compound. When she finally made it to the great wall enclosing the perimeter of the village she transferred some chakra to the soles of her feet and ran straight up. Eventually she made it to the top and immediately bounded off the wall into the treetops.

She was flying. Her cloak was billowing behind her as she raced through the trees towards an unknown destination. She laughed out loud at how ridiculous this whole thing was, how easy it was. Hinata Hyuga was now officially a defector of the Leaf Village. All it took was one night, one decision, and she was completely free.

Well, not quite free. Hinata's plan was to find the ultimate freedom. Just as Neji had, she would find her freedom in death.


	3. Prove Your Worth

Hinata woke up to the sunrise filtering through the barracks window. Today would be her first full day back in Konoha, her first full day back in seven years. When she last set foot here, she was actively seeking her own death. How times have changed, she thought as she put on the cloak she ran away with, the cloak that was her only reminder of home on her great journey. She carefully put on the hood, making sure her face was covered in shadow before leaving. She knew she wouldn't be able to mask her identity forever, but she would rather remain anonymous as long as she could.

She stepped out into the streets and paused, feeling a set of eyes on her. Shaking off the uncomfortable feeling, she decided to pay it no mind and let Boar do his job—Naruto did task him to make sure she wasn't bothered. Hinata stuck close to the walls and alleyways, but nevertheless her hooded figure attracted attention from the early-rising villagers. They stared and whispered as she made her way to the training grounds.

After a half hour trek, Hinata finally stood at the entrance of training ground 37. She found it to be less of a training ground and more of an arena. The land was flat, unmarred by trees, shrubs, or anything a ninja could use for cover. On the far side of the training ground were rows of concrete stadium seats meant for a handful of spectators. Currently that area was filled with several ANBU, the Hokage, and, to her surprise, Shikamaru Nara and Kakashi Hatake were there as well.

"And there she is! The woman of the hour!" Naruto called out across the field when he saw her.

As she approached, Shikamaru huffed out, "Naruto didn't tell us who you were but I can already tell...you're troublesome."

"I for one am excited to see what this new kunoichi has in store for us," Kakashi said, smiling under his mask.

"I brought Shikamaru and Kakashi along because they're my closest advisors. They were livid when I wouldn't reveal your identity. Well Shikamaru was livid. But I figured you'd let everyone know in your own time. Plus it could make for a pretty great prank, ya know?" Naruto explained.

"And as I explained to Lord Seventh," Shikamaru interjected, "the security of the Leaf is no laughing matter. I'll be watching you closely." He felt uncomfortable when information was out of his grasp, and was rather pissed off that Naruto wouldn't tell him who the mystery woman was. Hinata simply bowed in acknowledgement, wary of speaking lest the man with the eidetic memory recognized her voice.

"Alright! Let's get started then," Naruto announced with a flourish, always up for theatrics. "As we all know, our guest wants to prove herself worthy of being my bodyguard. She'll do so by taking on my security detail—but here's the catch—this will not only be a test of strength, but also endurance. We'll start her off easy, a spar against one of the ANBU—my standard in-village security. This will be followed by face-off against two more ANBU—my in-village security in times of high alert. The next battle will be against my security for travelling within the Land of Fire—three ANBU. Finally, she'll take on five ANBU at once, my security when travelling beyond our borders. All jutsu are fair game. Does this sound like a reasonable enough task?"

Hinata nodded in response, accepting the challenge.

"Ram!" Naruto called out, "You're up!"

The ANBU with the mask of a ram stepped forward to join Hinata in the grass. They both headed further out to the center of the field, and faced each other in the traditional sparring stance, two fingers raised in front of them to make the Seal of Confrontation. The tension in the air was palpable, and the audience held its breath as the two shinobi stood their ground, waiting for the other to make their move.

Suddenly, both of their arms swooped downward, they rushed toward each other, and the battle began. The two were a blur as one tried to best the other in taijutsu. They exchanged blows, seemingly at an impasse when Hinata swung her leg low to knock her opponent off his feet. Ram jumped back to avoid the kick, only to be surprised when he found the Hyuga beneath him, ready to deliver a punch to his gut. It was too late for Ram to change his momentum, so he took the hit, thinking that would be the end of it. With inhuman speed, Hinata was behind him and administered a kick to Ram's back, painfully changing his trajectory towards the ground.

Ram landed with a grunt. He shakily tried to get up but was forced back down by the heel of Hinata's shinobi sandal. She turned to look at her spectators for confirmation of her victory.

"Not bad at all," Naruto proclaimed. He was indeed impressed, and surprised that Hinata had not used any of the Hyuga's traditional Gental Fist techniques.

"Tiger! Bear!" The two stepped forward at the Hokage's command and joined Hinata as Ram limped out of the way.

Once again, Hinata joined the ANBU in presenting the Seal of Confrontation. This time as the three lowered their hands, the two ANBU frantically started weaving hand seals.

"Earth Release: Mudslide!" Bear yelled out.

"Coil of Lightning!" Tiger named his jutsu at the same time.

Hinata stood firm as a river of electrified mud rushed toward her. She countered with her own hand seals, "Water Style: Polarity!" She ran forward, cloak billowing out behind her, the mud splitting around her as though it were repelled by some force. In fact, Hinata was manipulating the water in the mud causing it divide for her. She kept racing onward, trying to get close enough for hand to hand combat—taijutsu was her specialty after all.

Bear could see through her plan, "Earth-Style Wall!"

A wall of rock rose in front of Hinata, preventing her from continuing to run forward and threatening to smack her in the face. At the last second, she transferred chakra to her toes and danced up the rock face. She flipped at the top, using the momentum to spring towards her adversaries.

Tiger was ready for her landing, waiting to hit her with a chakra enhanced strike. Hinata anticipated this, gracefully twisting out of the way midair and, once close enough, gently using her arm to guide Tiger's strike just past her body. She rolled into her landing and immediately moved to attack Bear. They had exchanged a few blows by the time Tiger crept up behind her, attempting to catch her by surprise from the back. Tiger didn't anticipate her to suddenly appear behind him, once again using what appeared to be inhuman speed, and striking him in the neck, causing him to crumble in a heap at Hinata's feet.

Bear used this opportunity to jump back and weave hand seals, "Earth Release: Bedrock Coffin!" Sections of the ground rose up around Hinata. The last thing the audience saw was Hinata frantically looking around before the walls closed in on her with a crash of rock on rock.

An unnatural silence permeated the arena. Bear allowed himself to relax, a bit worried that the Hokage would be angry at him for killing his candidate. As he stepped forward, his ankle was grabbed by a hand that suddenly sprung up out of the ground and pulled him down. The next thing he knew, Bear was stuck up to his neck in soil and the hooded stranger stood in front of him, her cloak a bit grimy but otherwise no worse for wear. Victorious once more, she turned to face the audience.

"Impressive," Kakashi muttered. Hinata helped Bear out of the ground, who then ran to collect the passed out Tiger.

Naruto had a large grin on his face as he yelled out, "Rat! Scorpion! Bull!" The three jumped to attention and joined Hinata on the battlefield. The fight began with another ninjutsu, Scorpion making the hand seals while his comrades stood back.

"Hidden Mist Jutsu!" As soon as Scorpion named his jutsu the arena was covered by a thick mist. Hinata smiled and subtly activated her byakugan beneath her hood. It seemed hiding her identity served her well, no one but Naruto knew that the mist was useless against her eyes. Scorpion inadvertently made this Hinata's easiest battle yet.

She played dumb, pretending not to notice Scorpion rushing towards her through the mist. That's when her byakugan caught a familiar flow of chakra around his eyes—her opponent was a Hyuga and if she could she his eyes it was only a matter of time before he saw hers. Panicking, Hinata resorted to one of her more advanced techniques—she didn't want to use it quite yet but she figured the mist would keep her secret. She pointed two fingers towards Scorpion's stomach and shot out a burst of chakra. It hit, disrupting his chakra system, causing him to pass out and the mist to evaporate. There went her plan of quietly eliminating her opponents under the cover of the mist. She had to think of a new plan, and fast.

Rat and Bull were confused when they saw the mist dissipate so quickly. Did Scorpion already subdue the mystery woman? They watched as Scorpion walked out of the mist towards them. They were ready to congratulate him when he simultaneously struck the pressure points on their necks. Rat and Bull collapsed as the transformation jutsu faded and a cloaked Hinata stood in the place of Scorpion.

Naruto laughed in awe, "Wow! That was great!" Kakashi nodded in agreement and Shikamaru just stood there, carefully appraising the woman with his sharp eyes. A few ANBU collected their associates from the field in preparation for the final battle.

Soon enough, Hinata found herself facing a semicircle of five ANBU. This time, Hinata made the first move, deciding now was the time to reveal her special technique to the masses. She raised both arms and funneled chakra out from her fingertips, shooting it at two of the shinobi. As did Scorpion, they fainted when their chakra systems were disrupted by the blast. The three remaining ninja rushed forward, planning to overwhelm her by attacking at once. Hinata threw off her cloak, creating a barrier between her and the incoming soldiers. When the cloak fell, Hinata was nowhere to be found. The ANBU braked abruptly, looking around for the wily kunoichi.

They found an dark haired woman behind them, with the white eyes of a Hyuga, standing in the Gentle Fist stance. She was wearing a black tank top over a mesh long sleeve shirt, loose black ninja pants, and standard shinobi sandals. She activated her byakugan and charged.

"No way," Shikamaru looked at Naruto for confirmation.

Naruto smirked, "Oh yeah, it's her."

"You really held out on us, Naruto," Kakashi noted before they all returned their attention to the battle.

Hinata had a momentary advantage from the shock of her reveal, and she used it.

"Eight trigrams, thirty two palms!" She yelled out as she targeted the ANBU closest to her. He slumped as thirty two of his tenketsu shut down, nullifying his ability to move and use chakra. Now Hinata was left with two ANBU—one with a dog mask and one with a hawk mask. Hawk moved into the Gentle Fist stance himself while Dog retreated to weave hand seals.

"Earth Style: Earth and Stone Dragon!" Dog used his chakra to raise a giant dragon out of the earth and attack Hinata. At the same time, the Hyuga ANBU with the hawk mask decided to strike. This kept Hinata busy for a while as she simultaneously dodged the dragon and Hawk. It had been a while since she last fought a Hyuga, nonetheless she was confident in her ability to best him. Wanting to end it, Hinata resorted once again to her inhuman speed trick to get behind Hawk. She cast a subtle genjutsu, creating a projection of herself in front of her Hyuga opponent while she quickly circumnavigated his body, releasing the genjutsu when she made it to her destination.

"Vacuum Palm!" Hinata named the jutsu targeted at Hawk's back. Hawk lurched forward before he knew what hit him, landing face down and coughing up blood.

Hinata backflipped out of the way of the stone dragon that was still coming at her. This was her final adversary. She decided to face this one head on, so she rushed forward, dodging every strike from the dragon as she slowly but surely approached Dog. Sensing that the battle would once again come down to taijutsu, Dog released the dragon jutsu. Hinata continued to dodge as leftover rocks fell from the sky.

The two shinobi clashed, arms and legs swinging as each one tried to outdo the other in speed, strength, and agility. Dog had seen enough to know that he would probably not win this battle. Not only was fighting against a Hyuga's Gentle Fist a challenge in itself, but this Hyuga was unpredictable and had a whole arsenal beyond the traditional fighting style. Sure enough she was able to get through his defense, striking a chakra point in his arm and rendering it immobile. Dog jumped back.

"I concede," he announced, raising his good arm.

On the sidelines, Naruto started clapping and walking onto the field, "Wow! That was just...wow!" He approached Hinata smiling, not giving a damn that her heart was beating faster than a hummingbird's wings.

"Now it's my turn," Naruto stated with a gleam in his sky blue eyes.

"What?" A chorus of 'whats' echoed through the field as Hinata, Shikamaru, and Kakashi questioned Naruto.

"I wanna spar with Hinata," he replied, "unless, you're not up to it. I know this wasn't part of the original plan."

"I'm ready," Hinata proclaimed.

Kakashi pipped in, "You know, usually a bodyguard doesn't attack the body she's guarding."

"A very astute observation, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto teased, "I know but I just want to test her abilities for myself. And after watching those spars I'm itching for some exercise."

"Well?" Naruto raised two fingers to signify the start of the battle. Hinata nodded and did the same. They stared into each other's eyes, waiting for the cue to attack. It felt as though there was electricity surging between them—surely just due to the excitement before a spar, Naruto thought.

Suddenly, they both rushed toward each other and began exchanging blows. Naruto was stronger than Hinata, but she was more agile and quicker on her feet. Naruto countered all of Hinata's attacks, absorbing the shock of each hit with ease. He could barely land any hits on the lithe Hyuga, who was weaving around him with the grace of a gazelle.

Naruto had to step it up, so he jumped back and yelled, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" The field was then filled with copies of the Nanadaime Hokage. All of them rushed the Hyuga.

"Rotation!" Hinata called out as a sphere of protective chakra revolved around her, pushing back several Narutos with a littany of pops as the clones dissipated.

"Eight Trigrams: Sixty Four Palms!" Hinata used the technique to do away with the remaining clones. She jumped and backflipped just before a hand raised out of the ground where she had been standing.

"Thought I'd get you with that one!" Naruto said, pulling himself out of the ground.

"You'll have to do better than that," Hinata replied cheekily.

The spar continued on for another ten minutes, neither one able to overwhelm the other. That's when Naruto decided to up the ante.

"Rasengan!" He lunged toward Hinata, ball of spinning chakra in hand, a bit miffed that this would be the end of an admittedly great spar.

Hinata knew he would resort to the Rasengan at some point, and she had a plan. She cast her favorite genjutsu—projecting an impression of herself standing in place while she actually ran forward to meet Naruto head on. She ducked under the Rasengan and poked a tenketsu in his arm, causing the ball of chakra to dissipate and his arm to go limp.

Naruto wasn't quite sure what happened. One moment he was charging at Hinata, the next his Rasengan arm gave out and Hinata was standing right at his chest, smirking up at him.

It was as though time had stopped. They stood inches apart, breathing heavily and looking into each other's eyes. Naruto has never seen such eyes, opalescent and brimming with energy. He took in her slightly parted lips, her heaving chest, and he felt something stir in him that wasn't the Kyubi.

He shook himself out of it. "I concede," he announced.

"But we aren't done here," Hinata decided to conveniently forget the long pause they just took. She had no idea what that was, but the intensity had her shaken.

"I've seen enough," Naruto called out across the field to their audience, "had this been a real battle my next moves would have included either sage mode or the use of Kurama's chakra...neither of which I engage in a friendly spar."

"Hinata," he addressed her once more, "would you mind...?" He gestured toward his limp arm.

"No problem," she struck his arm again, allowing his chakra to flow properly. They walked toward the stadium seats where Kakashi, Shikamaru, and ANBU in various states of distress were waiting.

"I think we've all seen enough," Naruto continued, "Shikamaru, Kakashi, unless you have any objections I believe our candidate has proved herself more than worthy of being the Hokage's first personal bodyguard."

Shikamaru spoke up, "I have no objections. And it's good to see you alive and well, Hinata."

"And you as well, Shikamaru-san," Hinata replied.

"Well, I'm not the one that's been dead for seven years, am I?" Shikamaru smirked in response.

"I also have no objections. Welcome back, Hinata," Kakashi said with a smile.

"That's that!" Naruto exclaimed. "Hinata, your paperwork is almost complete. And I was able to set you up with an apartment on the east side of Konoha. Boar can show you the way. You'll begin your duties as my bodyguard tomorrow."

Hinata nodded, acknowledging his words, satisfied that everything was working out perfectly.


End file.
